The Chacma Baboon has a body length of up to 115 cm and a weight from 15 to 31 kg, it is the largest and heaviest baboon species. Chacma baboons have dark yellowish-grey to dark brown and almost black fur with a long snout and unlike other baboons, the males do not have a mane. They have long 22- to 34-inch tails, which they carry like riding whips.
Its hands and feet are wide with stubby fingers and toes. Its thumb and forefinger are fully opposable with precision grip. Adult males have sharp canines measuring 2 1/2 inches long.

HabitatChacma baboons inhabit Southern Africa. The species inhabits woodlands, steppe, highland grasslands and savannas, where water is readily available.

In 1986, a troop of chacma baboons was found living in the heart of the Namib desert - the most arid environment known to be inhabited by a non-human primate (the annual rainfall is only 27mm). In 1992, the troop went without water for 116 days, eating figs for moisture. bbc.co.uk

DietChacma baboons mainly eat fruit, though leaves make up a big part of their diet. They also eat flowers, roots, grasses, bark, twigs, sap, tubers, bulbs, mushrooms, lichens, aquatic plants, seeds, shoots, buds, invertebrates, and small vertebrates, such as gazelle. Chacma baboons forage by shuffling along the ground as they root for grasses and other food.

Social LifeMales disperse from their natal groups, while females remain in their home ranges. Chacma baboons live in troops. The troop size varies from eight members to 200 members, but typically involves 30 to 40 baboons. They are promiscuous, and males often fight over females. Females generally have one to three "consorts" from whom to mate with.
Females give birth to a single offspring. Young are born with bright pink skin and black hair. By the age of 6 months, they have their adult coloration.
Male consorts help care for infants in terms of carrying and grooming, and will come to the defense of their female when attacked by members of another troop. They also become foster parents when the mother dies.
When threatened, chacma baboons have been known to mob predators, such as leopards. Sometimes the predator is severely injured.

We saw some birdnests floating on Sunset dam. Quite funny when a croc came to investigate. He would slowly surface from underneath - then go down again only to sufacle a few inches forward & then letting it slide down from it's head down to it's back.

Later that afternoon we found the culprit - just as funny. Must be one of the locals because it kept watching the water surface closely - must have known about the crocs.

two-phase bark: A deep, loud call, emitted by adult males, which is repeated at 2 to 5 second intervals and sounds like "wahoo". This call is emitted when a predator is near especially a feline one. It is also heard when there is inter or intra group aggression between males. It also communicates male presence and arousal.

grunting: This sometimes resembles a two-phase "uh-huh" and generally is soft in nature. This call is a threat call, emitted by the adult male, which can occur before two-phase bark.

screeching: This call consists of high pitched screams which are repeated and may turn to a churring noise when the individual becomes caught. This call is emitted by all age classes and both sexes.

yakking: Short in duration and sounds like a sharp "yak". Fear grimace often accompanies this call. This call is emitted by subadult and adult males and females, and is given by an individual who is withdrawing from a threatening animal.

clicking: This call is chirplike in nature and is emitted by infant and juvenile chacma baboons of both sexes. This is the equivalent of yakking (Estes, 1991).

ick-ooer: A two-phased call with the "ick" coming before the "coo" sound, and given with the lips pursed. it is emitted by infants of both sexes, and is given as an expression of a low-level of fear or distress.

shrill bark: This call is a sound which is single, sharp, and explosive in nature. it is emitted by all chacma baboons except adult males, and functions as an alarm signal especially to a sudden disturbance. Other members of the troop will flee upon hearing this call.

rhythmic grunts: This call is low and soft and is given by all chacma baboons except infants. This call is given when one individual is approaching another and signals friendly intentions.

doglike bark: A high-pitched call and has more quaver and is less staccato than the shrill bark. it's emitted by subadult and adult males and females, and is given when individual or subgroups are separated from the troop.

chattering: This call is nasal in nature and consists of rapid gruntlike sounds. It is emitted by juvenile chacma baboons, and is heard during play.

muffled growl: The mouth is closed and the cheeks puff in and out during this call. This call is emitted by estrus females and occurs during copulation.

Visual communication

tension yawning: This is done by an adult male chacma baboons. The mouth is opened fully to reveal the canines. This is done when a rival group or a predator is approaching.

staring: This display is used as a threat. The eyes are fixed on the stimulus, the eyebrows are raised and the scalp is retracted, the facial skin is also stretched by moving the ears back.

canine display: This is performed by adult male chacma baboons, and is variation upon tension yawning. It serves as a threat display and is given by a lower-ranking male against a higher-ranking one when the higher-ranking individual is with an estrus female or is eating meat. Often eyebrow-raising occurs with this display.

eyebrow-raising: Eyebrow-raising functions as an aggressive gesture.

penile display: This is performed by an adult male, and he will sit with this erect penis in full view. This display is performed while the male is guarding and communicates to other males that an adult male is present in the troop.

fear grimace: The lips are retracted so that the teeth are shown; the teeth are clenched together. This display functions as an appeasement signal to reduce aggression in aggressive encounters.

tooth-grinding: The mouth is closed and the teeth are grinded together. Heard when two males are threatening each other at a close distance.

rapid-glancing: This is when a threatened chacma baboon will turn its head away and look in the opposite direction. It serves to decrease the tension in the situation.

lipsmacking: The lips are protruded, then smacked together repeatedly. It's a reassuring display.

social presenting: This is like presenting, but is done by females and juvenile males towards higher ranking males. This is a submissive display and differs from presenting by the hindquarters being lower. This is also done by a female to another female with a black infant, and she will lip-smack while doing this.

Tactile communication

social grooming: One individual removes parasites and dead skin with their hands from another individual. In this species it generally only occurs between same sex individuals. This is used to reinforce the social bonds.

nose-to-nose greeting: When two individuals meet each other they touch noses as a friendly sign.

social mounting: This is generally a response to social presenting and serves to signal a friendly reassurance. This is also seen during aggressive encounters.

Saw a troop of babons this weekend between Skukuza and Tshokwane. We were not really looking as we had seen many that day allready.

We had to get to an almost standstill as they were sitting in the road and then - without warning - a LARGE mail grabbed a little one and killed it. I mean bit it dead.

Now as luck would have it I didnt have my camera as it is in for a servcice. I did try to take pictures with a cell but that just plain straight didnt work.

I have seen something like this on 50/50 once were one fo the resident "expert" guys aid that baboons might do this and actually eat the baby baboon due to a lake of protien in the diet etc etc etc. The thing here was that the Large baboon did not seem interested in eating the smaller one at all. He sortof poked and pressed the body and then turned his attention to what I can only assume was the mother and a few other baboons "going ape". (Pardont he pun)

I am not an expert but it certainly did not seem like he was interested in eating the little one but it was more a case of "discipline gone wrong" and perhaps he didnt mean to kill the smaller one. He did seem rather bemosed at the dead baboon after he had done the deed.

The area was green and there certainly did not seem to be a lack of food in the vacinity.

Any ideas and comments on this?

Baffers

_________________You gotta be careful: don't say a word to nobody about nothing anytime ever!I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do.

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